Slices of Ocean Kumquat
by SuperSonic Violet
Summary: Zutara Week 2011. Mask, History, Social Networking, Secret, Awkward, Legendary, Caught. Theme 7: When Zuko is caught in the act of something utterly despicable, will Katara find it in herself to forgive him?
1. Mask

**A/N:** Hiya, and welcome to my new series of oneshots, created in honour of Zutara Week! :D Woo! You can be expecting a few funny ones, and the occasional dramatic/angsty one… Anyway, I hope you enjoy my take on the first prompt. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it. I do not own Zutara Week either, but I am contributing to it with my own idea for this theme. :P

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><p><strong>Slices of Ocean Kumquat<strong>

**_Zutara Week 2011_**

**Theme 1: Mask**

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><p>Fire Lord Zuko had assumed the throne with an air of purpose, decision and integrity. Like his predecessors, he knew which direction he wanted to be moving in, but unlike his predecessors, he was moving in a new direction. Things were looking up for not only himself, but the rest of the world. And although never rash, he knew exactly what he wanted and how to go about getting it.<p>

That is, until one day before Valentine's Day.

"I, uh…" he stammered, absently rubbing the back of his head. "Well, you see…"

With folded arms Katara stood expectantly before him, tapping her fingers on her forearm. "Yes, Zuko?" she pressed, making an effort to disguise her impatience by how slowly she spoke. Even though it only added to it.

He sighed, dropping his arm to his side. "Never mind."

The waterbender opened her mouth to protest when Toph's voice beckoned her from the end of the corridor. "Coming!" she chirped back. "We'll talk later, okay?" Her arm brushed his as she scurried past him without waiting for a response.

Zuko frowned to himself, shoving his hands in his pockets and maneuvering along one of the many crimson, carpeted corridors of his home. _His palace. _Evening was approaching rapidly, for the servants had already drawn and secured the embroidered curtains using the usual golden ties. Things were quieter in this part of the palace with the absence of animated banter from Katara and Toph – they were most likely on their way to receive Suki at the docks. The only option now was to track down Aang and Sokka, and considering the latter's character, they were either in a dining room or about to fall off the top of a palace tower.

Back to the situation at hand – the one chasing through his mind – Zuko could now classify this attempt as another failed one. He and Katara had been advancing along quite nicely, having broken the bonds of friendship for something different and… refreshing. At first it had been an odd thing, craving approval and seeking comfort. But comfort was what they had found in one another – after travelling such a tiresome emotional journey, they discovered that they needed each other more than they thought. This applied to the other members, too, but an unseen bond joined Zuko and Katara in a special way. Almost peculiar.

Time had also certainly played its part. It had done little to change things itself, but rather allowed for growth and the establishment of said bond. Acceptance was learned by each member of Team Avatar; life was quite nearly the same, as exciting as always, just a few changes here and there. Their journey had taught them the importance of unity, never to turn against each other, and it had done good for many things – including Katara and Zuko's relationship.

"Does it still count as a relationship if I've never asked her out before?" Zuko wondered aloud. Well, given the previous encounter, it was difficult for him to do so…

"I hope you're talking abut my sister and not some noble chick."

Zuko looked up, attention snapping to the Water Tribe boy with hazel skin to match Katara's. "Hey, Sokka." Zuko uncomfortably shifted his weight to his left foot, briefly recalling the farewell between him and Mai two months prior.

"Yo." Sokka smiled lazily and nodded at Zuko to continue walking, falling into step beside his friend. "What's wrong?"

"…Why would something be wrong?"

"Valentine's Day is tomorrow and you don't have a date… and you're thinking aloud." Sokka fixed a serious gaze on the firebender, speaking with a tone identical to it. "You only do that under grave circumstances. _Do _you have any grave circumstances, Zuko?"

Zuko raised his only eyebrow. "In the mood for acting today, are we?"

He shrugged. "What can I say? Suki's coming – I haven't seen her in weeks. She thinks I'm a great actor, you know."

"I don't think I do. Where's Aang?"

"He followed Momo off the top of the palace tower."

"Ah."

They rounded a corner, Sokka taking the opportunity to move back to the topic Zuko had unconsciously steered him away from. "So, you've never asked my sister out?" No response. "Sooner or later she's gonna think you don't like her that much…" Sokka smirked when Zuko abruptly stopped walking, frozen. "Looks like you need a little help, Sparky."

Zuko scowled. "From you?"

"In case you haven't noticed, Your Majesty, the ladies love Sokka. I think your sister had a thing for me once," he declared.

"Azula doesn't have _things_," said Zuko quickly. "Now, how do you intend to help me?"

"A few tips. Nothing in exchange."

"Nothing?"

"Nope. I'll be getting free entertainment." Sokka clapped his hands together once. "Okay, you're gonna try when the girls get back from the docks. I'll just be there on the sidelines for Suki or something."

"Don't you have to ask her, too?"

"Tch, please, Zuko. It's automatic. We're sort of, not really, kinda almost engaged. No questioning that kind of commitment."

Zuko sighed. Time was not being as merciful as it had been before, and was running out the more he stood idly. Quite honestly, he did not want help with this specific subject from Sokka – or anyone. It was meant to be genuine, from the heart, but his heart was rather shy. It seemed that things would have come to this, anyway. "I know I'm going to regret this… but I'll do it." He would have to bear it for a short period. "Let's go wait for them to return."

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><p>And that was it – just the sight of her smile, as she and her companions walked along the cobbled path at the back of the palace, was enough to do it.<p>

A weightless feeling lodged itself in his abdomen, palms moistening as he flexed his fingers behind his back. He wet his lips, a shaky breath pushing past his teeth from his now-heavy lungs, heartbeat picking up more than significantly. An unknown force rooted his feet deeply to the spot, stopping him from moving forward like Sokka did when he dashed to greet Suki. And this was Fire Lord Zuko, dressed as casually as the summer day had wanted, and turned into an iron statue outside his palace.

Even when Suki gave him a small hug and waved her hand in front of his face, calling his name, he remained stiff. Only his eyes focused on the warrior who had her head cocked at him. "Hey, Suki," he finally said. "Been a long time."

"Sure has. Are you… feeling all right, Zuko?"

Sokka tugged on her arm. "Oh, he's fine. Just those Fire Lord duties."

"Oh. Anyway, Zuko, I brought something back from the Earth Kingdom for you, but I'll give it to you later." Suki waved a hand and returned her attention back to the girls. "Are you gonna show me where my room is, or should I camp in a vase?"

"Camping in a vase sounds cool." Toph grinned before latching her hand onto the sash of Suki's full Kyoshi Warrior uniform. "C'mon, Fangirl."

The girls started in another direction, leaving a paling Zuko and a smirking Sokka standing at the foot of the steps. Until… "Katara!" Zuko choked out at last after being jabbed by his amused friend.

The master waterbender turned on the stone steps to face them, lagging behind as the other two girls went on. "Yeah?"

"Spit it out, Sparky," hissed Sokka loud enough for only Zuko to hear.

Katara placed her hands on her hips. "What is it? Something's wrong – you know you can tell me anything, right?"

Zuko swallowed. "Um, yeah. You said we were gonna talk later…"

"Yes."

There was a short pause. Zuko wet his lips and averted his eyes from her concerned blue ones. "Let's talk at dinner."

"All right." Another pause, and then Katara sighed. "Is that all?"

"Yes. It is," he said quietly.

Sokka's palm smacked to his forehead as Katara, frowning, nodded and walked away. "She's gonna think you don't like her anymore. I don't mind, of course, but I know it'll make me feel guilty anyway," he murmured.

Zuko surprised him by grabbing onto his shoulders and looking right into his eyes. "Do you have any idea how nervous I am?" he confessed. "I don't know why it keeps happening like this, but I-" Zuko stopped, conscious of how weird it would be to plainly let Sokka know of his deeper feelings. "I care about your sister a lot, Sokka. It's not that I don't. I have it all planned in my head, how to say it, what to say – everything. But when it comes to the real thing, right in front of her, it doesn't feel like I'm prepared at all.

"I don't know – does this make me less worthy? Should I just give up because I don't have… whatever the heck I need to show her how I really feel?" Zuko ignored the heated tingling at the tips of his ears. "I don't want to give up, and I also want to do this right, so please enlighten me, Sokka!"

He edged out of Zuko's grip, looking satisfied. So he cares enough about her to doubt himself and whether he is doing it the right way? He did say he would not give up, and that was certainly showing something about his feelings, considering how easily he got flustered. Well, this would have to be sorted out soon. And it would not be a difficult task. "I think I know what's up here," said Sokka. "But you've just figured it out for yourself, if you haven't noticed. Come on, _Nervy _– dinner's soon, and I don't like being late for dinner."

"Do you have a solution for me, _Girl Magnet_?"

Sokka smiled sweetly. "We'll think of something."

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><p>Dinnertime was a casual affair, not a single person aware of how anxiously the Fire Lord was waiting for it to be over. It was in one of the smaller dining rooms, with enough space around the table for the main members of Team Avatar, as well as General Iroh and Chief Hakoda. Laid out beneath the burning sconces was traditional Fire Nation cuisine, the members from other countries having adjusted to the spicy flavours and tangy tastes.<p>

Zuko and Sokka had spent what was left of their afternoon brainstorming for new options, each of which were denied by Zuko out of the odd nerves that had overcome him earlier on. After that, they had entered a stage of silent _numbness_, almost, at a loss of what to do. And then Sokka had disappeared for a bit, Suki arriving in his place not far after, wanting to give Zuko the item she had brought him back from her scouting mission at Lake Laogai. Ah, thanks to that, everything had fallen into place and became the only obvious option for the unusually jittery Fire Lord.

"Hm." Zuko smirked into his cup as he drank from it; he was more confident about the new plan of action, the blood having stopped rushing to his cheeks each time he thought about it. As soon as he touched the cup back onto the table, a small hand came to rest on his wrist. He looked up into her blue eyes – and they were more dazzling than usual. She had been laughing along to a joke, noting the slight moisture at her eyelashes, the smile that curved her lips perfectly, and the blush on her cheeks that made him want to glide a finger over them. Zuko gulped.

"Will you tell me now?"

"…Huh?"

Katara pursed her lips. "You said we'd talk at dinner. And it's dinner now, last time I checked."

He opened his mouth but, sensing more stammering, decided to change the direction the topic was moving in. "Oh, that. Well, I've decided to save it for later and I'll tell you… in a different way."

"Should I be afraid?"

"You're a master waterbender – I think you can handle anything coming your way."

She giggled, seemingly content with the normal response from him, and let the topic go as she withdrew her hand. "Whatever you say, Mr. Fire Lord."

Zuko smiled again, sipping slowly from his cup.

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><p>Katara was perched atop the bed in her guest room, decorated in a typical Fire Nation style with varying shades of red and gold trimmings. She did not mind red that much anymore – having grown up in the Water Tribe, Katara was accustomed to blue… Oh, but she was rather fond of the rare purple worn mostly in the Northern Water Tribe. It was a nice change of colour for her, she thought. But that did not make her fussy about her blue, everyday clothes. Simplistic backgrounds had their advantages, indeed.<p>

Her wrist was starting to cramp, for she had been running her brush through her dark tresses for a long time. The fire was burning low in the fireplace before the bed, and the coals used to heat the bed for her had been removed by a servant a few minutes ago; Katara had also politely declined the extinguishing of her lamps and the untying of the mosquito nets around her bed. Hm, she was brushing her hair for much longer before that. Katara sighed, flipping her feet in front of her, toes pointed at the fireplace.

"Stupid…" she muttered. She was talking about Zuko, of course. He had just rushed off after the last course without another word. More annoying, Sokka had followed him, even after her little talk with him earlier on. "If they have anything stupid planned, I swear-"

_Knock, knock, knock!_

She furrowed her brows – surely the servant was not offering to assist Katara again? She could manage on her own, if that was the case. There was no need to fuss over her. Hopefully she was not keeping the servant from sleep… "Coming!"

Katara rose, and on the way to the door, removed her bangles and set both them and the brush on the mantle next to the clips usually holding her hair loopies together. Tightening the sash and smoothing the wrinkles on her sleeping robe one more time, Katara opened the door – and was genuinely shocked.

"Miss Katara, I have come to deliver an important message to you, from Fire Lord Zuko," announced a husky, familiar voice… behind a dull blue mask. The bottom half of its face was curved in a wild grin, large wide fangs amongst flat teeth, nose, and cheekbones all coated in shiny white. The top half of the face proved otherwise; white almond-shaped eyes and a deeply curved brow, decorative shapes sticking to the top of the head. It was unnerving, to say the least, in the dancing shadows given off by the candelabras. Although there _was_ something quaint about it.

"How important is it, messenger?" Her expression probably looked like a frown to him, but she was actually squinting closer to see if her initial notion had been correct. There had been a flash of gold in the dark holes where the eyes should have been, and that was a giveaway almost as obvious as the height and…

"Very important. Um, that's what he said, of course."

…that voice…

She folded her arms. "Zuko?"

The person gave a start as if an ice cube had been slipped down his shirt. "That is who sent me," he answered slowly. "I'm… uh… the Blue Spirit." He gave a short bow.

Katara was amused, smirking, and leaned against the doorframe. "Nice to meet you, Blue Spirit. What message do you have for me?" She was struggling not to burst with the laughter coiling in her chest. Really, why was Zuko playing dress-up at this hour?

"Fire Lord Zuko would like to know if you'd be able to spend the day with him tomorrow."

Katara straightened up, hands unintentionally clasping at the level of her collarbone. "You mean… like a date? For Valentine's Day?" Even though she hoped not to show too much of her eagerness, she knew it was present.

"Yes. Like a date," he said softly.

Katara blushed, hands still clasped but relaxing down. "I suppose it would be nice."

"What should I tell the Fire Lord?"

It seemed he knew that she knew, but was just not saying anything. Katara looked up, speaking evenly. "You can give him a message for me."

The Blue Spirit nodded quickly. Then Katara reached forward, placing one hand at the nape of his neck and the other behind the mask, fingertips barely touching the skin beneath. She took a step closer, leaning towards him; she drew her eyes away from the holes in the mask, briefly catching another glimpse of warm gold. Her delicate smile did not fade as she pressed her lips gently to the smooth, hard surface of the mask's cheek, fingers on the side of his head grazing rougher skin there – the rough skin of a scar.

Pulling back, Katara let her fingers fully touch the scar as she gazed at him tenderly. She did not care whether his skin was hard and rough like the scar, or smooth and cold like the mask. She cared about the person inside; the person she had come to love… She did not care if he had found himself 'unworthy', as Sokka had told her earlier this afternoon, to move to another step in their relationship because either way, she and Zuko had a precious bond that surpassed bonds in other relationships – without having to go on dates.

Katara had to admit, however, that she was quite happy that he had asked her to be his valentine, even though he had asked her in a different way. Ah, but Fire Lord Zuko was well-known for moving in new directions…

She chuckled. "Tell him that I'd be honored."

"Of course." He bowed and started down the corridor.

"Good night, _Blue Spirit_," she said as soon as he was at the corner.

Inside his mask, Zuko smiled, and paused to just glance over his shoulder. "Good night, Miss Katara."

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><p><strong>AN:**

I'm not sure if it's the weather, but I'm starting to write more and more fluff-like things. :3

These oneshots aren't exactly relating to _each other_; I'm just grouping them together since they are part of my first Zutara Week. This can also be found on my DeviantArt account - there's a link on my profile, in case you were wanting to know. ^.^ They'll probably be getting there sooner.

Thanks for reading!


	2. History

**Summary:**_ AU. A visit to the museum only further proves Zuko and Katara's dislike of each other - that is, until Sokka catches them in a rather interesting position..._

**A/N:** Delayed update is delayed, short chapter is short...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything copyrighted in this chapter or story.

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><p><strong>Slices of Ocean Kumquat<strong>

_**Zutara Week 2011**_

**Theme 2: History**

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><p>The halls of the museum were fringed with intellectuals, instructors, and generally any avid participant in history. That was why some of them turned around, glancing away from the pieces of work under their studying eyes, to sniff and wince at the gang of five teenagers trudging down the centre of the aisle.<p>

Perhaps the onlookers were disapproving because of the way each member of this diverse gang carried themselves: the girl with flowing brown hair and blue eyes was graceful, probably the most impressive out of the five – save for the monstrous scowl on her face; the most unkempt creature who stomped along barefoot, hair in her face, was the opposite of the taller girl; the overly perky bald boy seemed fine enough – but were those _tattoos_? Finally, there was a boy who bore a vague resemblance to the scowling girl, and a pale young man at his side who looked as though he had an intense hatred of the world.

Oh, but this apparently motley lot did not care much.

"Yo, Aang, why did we come here again?" Toph asked from behind her veil of black hair.

"Why not?" he challenged eagerly. "It's about time we checked out some world history, saw some pieces of our past…"

Toph's look was flatter than her tone. "I can't _see _anything."

"…Sorry."

Zuko glanced at his companions and sighed. "Where to first, then? The Fire section would be an interesting start."

"Why?" snapped Katara. "Sure, you're our friend properly after the peace treaties were signed. That doesn't mean you have to flaunt your bending type. It means that you mustn't be biased – like you are being now."

Zuko craned his neck to glare at her past Sokka. "I'm just making a suggestion to stop all this pointless walking."

"I think going to the Fire section is a great idea," said Aang a little too brightly before Katara could speak. "But let's go to the Air section first." He was always the one to keep everyone from getting at each other's throats… before it went too far, anyway. The way they were walking now had been planned by him – he had made sure that Katara was on one end, and that Zuko was far away from that end. It worked on occasion. This disagreement only went as far as it did because of the distance between them.

Toph snorted. "You two should just stop fighting and get together."

Katara elbowed Toph. "That isn't funny, Toph," she hissed, giving the earthbender a hard stare.

"Whatever look that's on your face has no effect on me – and there's nothing you can do about it, Pop Tart," said Toph cheerfully.

"Don't call me that!"

"You take things way too seriously," commented Zuko. "There's no way I'd _get together _with you."

"Perfect."

"Good."

Katara narrowed her eyes. "Oh, it is so super, I can't handle it!"

"That sounded really lame, Pop Tart."

"Shut up, Toph."

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><p>Sokka's sneakers dragged on the floor as he panted and panted, willing himself on.<p>

The reason the boy was forced to do this was because the gang had somehow split up. His troubles all started when they noticed that Zuko and Katara were missing; perhaps the gang's noticing of this detail was supposedly delayed because they wanted to preserve the delicious peace that came without Zuko and Katara's constant arguing. Unfortunately, they were in the Earth section when they noticed, and since Toph was feeling adventurous, she and Aang dived into the ground and left Sokka standing alone in bewilderment. From there, he was forced to continue his search for his younger sister by himself.

"Damn… them…" he wheezed, pausing to collapse against the wall beside the entrance to the men's bathrooms.

While he rested his legs, Sokka whipped out his cell phone; there was one new text message from Suki:

_GET OVER IT._

He groaned and shoved the phone back into the pocket of his jeans. After he had bought and devoured a hotdog, he had proceeded to bombard his girlfriend with text messages and voicemails about his situation. Hmm, maybe it was not such a good idea to interrupt her vacation, halfway across the world, with his miseries… Speaking of the hotdog, he had not allowed it enough time to digest.

"Argh…"

Rubbing his abdomen, Sokka was considering going into the bathroom when he heard a voice that sounded like Zuko's, followed by a feminine giggle. Frowning, the boy pushed himself off of the wall, momentarily forgetting his queasiness, and walked cautiously to the corner. Placing a hand against the wall, Sokka peered around the corner – and was greeted with an _interesting _sight.

Pressed against an old Fire tapestry was Katara, her hands grabbing onto the shirt collar of… Zuko? Sokka rubbed his eyes; this was so bizarre, it could not be true. Oh, but it was, and she was not the only one pressed against something – the teenagers' lips were pressed against each other in a deep kiss. Zuko's hands were on either side of her, yet he did not seem to be forcing himself on her – why, she was kissing him back and smiling too!

"What the hell?" whispered a stunned Sokka, and it was enough to make them pull away from each other to look up at him in surprise. He held up a hand, hoping it would stop them from talking. How was this even possible? With Sokka's little sister, of all people! Earlier, when they had first arrived at the museum, they had made it clear that they… Sokka rubbed his head. If he was not so furious, he might be amused. "You…"

"Sokka-" began Zuko.

The boy pointed an accusing finger, a frightening expression on his face. "You're history!"

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><p><strong>AN:**

Thanks for reading this, and for the alerts and reviews! I really appreciate them. :)


	3. Social Networking

**Summary: **_AU. Katara hasn't fallen prey to the new website, EnergyBend, which has become an instant campus sensation. However, when a challenge involving Zuko comes up, how can she resist?_

**A/N: **Hello there! Yes, it's Chapter 3, after ages. You might've noticed the title change - in the beginning, I was going to call this 'Slices of Ocean Kumquat' anyway, but I wasn't sure so... yeah. I don't usually change titles, but I loved that one too much to let it slide! :P Hope you enjoy the chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing copyrighted. The idea for the website mentioned here was my own. =w=

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><p><strong>Slices of Ocean Kumquat<strong>

_**Zutara Week 2011**_

**Theme 3: Social Networking**

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><p>The autumn air was brisk on her cheeks – not that she minded. She rather liked autumn; with its warm colours amongst cold air, and the desire to down a mug of hot chocolate every time she returned to the dormitory after a day of hard work at the university. No, it was without a doubt not the weather that caused her sullen countenance.<p>

Before rushing through the dormitory doors, Katara paused to look at the bulletin board on the brick wall. As soon as her eyes fell onto that wretched page, they narrowed and she stomped her foot angrily, letting out an annoyed grunt; both sounds bounced off the empty stone corridors, even into the courtyard through the arch to mix with the gurgling of the fountain.

"EnergyBend, huh?" she mocked the bulletin board and the advertisement pinned to it. "The 'newest fad', right?" She rolled her eyes and began another one of her rants. "Please. Why can't people just be satisfied with talking to each other? Everyone on campus lives close enough as it is. There's no point in another stupid internet social thing. Dad would back me up on this. Then again, he's old so…" Katara stopped talking and sucked in a small breath. "I'm talking to a bulletin board." _Relax, Katara. This is a test of your sanity. Just go to your room and get Suki to make hot chocolate._ "Okay."

And with that, Katara breezed through the dormitory doors and up the staircase with artificial lighting, purposefully ignoring that she had just had a conversation with herself and a bulletin board. Through the slightly dimmer passage, and she opened the door to find Suki, her roommate, giggling at the computer screen.

"Katara!" Suki looked up and rubbed her watery eyes, still smiling. "Where've you been? It's late."

"I was finishing my chi path assignment in the library," she explained, dropping her denim shoulder bag onto her bed across from Suki's against the wall.

The other girl sat up to cross her legs, pushing her laptop near to her pillows. "Assignment? Don't you find the new site tempting?"

Katara folded her arms and sat down, dragging her eyes from her purple mug on the shelf. "Not tempting enough to make me forget about my assignment."

Suki rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You're an interesting someone, Katara."

"So I'm guessing you're on EnergyBend?" If that was the case, Suki would definitely not be making hot chocolate tonight.

"Aha." Suki turned back to her laptop. "I can get you signed up, if you want."

Katara stood and went towards her purple mug as if being summoned by an invisible force. "No thanks. I'm craving hot chocolate right now."

Suki whipped her head around and gave her a flat look. "Come on. Just sign up? You'll get used to it eventually."

"I'm fine, Suki. Really."

"Before the night goes, you _have_ to sign up."

"No."

"Anyone who has an account is somebody…"

"You got that from the advert outside our dorm, Suki," said Katara as she searched for a teaspoon.

Suki shrugged, thinking up another attempt. "Funny, Zuko has an account. He's probably getting a lot of attention… from other girls," she added with a devious glint in her eyes.

Katara froze just as her fingers closed around a spoon inside the drawer. "…I'm in," she said distantly.

"Seriously?"

"Damn right!" She slid the drawer shut with a _snap_.

Suki grinned at Katara's short, uncharacteristic response. Perhaps there was hope for the waterbender after all…

"But first… I need hot chocolate more than a pregnant woman needs ice cream."

Suki massaged the bridge of her nose. Never mind.

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><p>EnergyBend. com was a new social site that had come about in the past two weeks – well, it did not matter when it was created, for it had become an instant campus sensation. A site made only for their university, EnergyBend. com was home and only accessible to the students of Ba Sing Se University. Sure, what was better than socializing with your campus friends in the comfort of your bedroom, without having to actually deal with them?<p>

_Nothing really_, thought Katara. As if Facebook was not enough! EnergyBend was all everyone talked about nowadays, and even when they were on the actual site, they still probably talked about it. Katara seemed to be the only one not scooped up by this fad – it would wear off, right?

Maybe, but not soon.

And so, after she was dressed for sleeping, Katara hijacked Suki's laptop and plopped down on her bed, navigating to the sign up page. Suki joined her, peering over her shoulder as the page loaded. Katara was going to at least try and keep up.

"Click there," instructed Suki.

"Here?"

"No, there." She pointed.

Katara stared at Suki's long forefinger on the glowing screen. "I thought you weren't meant to fully touch computer screens."

"My laptop, my rules. Now click there, Katara!"

"Fine. Happy?"

"Yes, now just fill in all of that."

A few moments of silence as Katara typed in her basic information – name, age, birthday, year at university… bending type?

"What's that supposed to mean?" Katara pressed her forefinger to the text.

"Don't touch my screen." Suki smacked her hand away. "You know, it's like the kind of bender you are. You're a waterbender, so you must select 'Water' under that drop-down menu."

"Oh." Katara performed the task and hesitated. "What did you have to say? And Aang?"

"You tick 'Other', and a new set of options come up."

"What if some random fool came and said they were also the Avatar?"

"Weren't you listening yesterday at lunch? Aang's profile was pretty much made before. He just needed to activate it."

"Huh… That's neat." _…So what if he didn't want an account at all?_

"Hurry up now. I wanna see what you're like in social networks."

Ah, it was true that she had deleted her Facebook account… Katara rolled her eyes, and they did not speak much until she was able to look at the profile screen of her new EnergyBend account. It had a waterbending theme which she instantly took a liking to – oh, but other waterbenders probably had the same thing… Still, she was at a master level. More perks from that in the real world.

"What happens now?" Katara asked Suki.

"Your name'll pop up on everyone's main screen."

"_What_?" squawked Katara.

Suki shrugged. "It's like a group setup. No biggie, just the people in your year – for other years, you'll have to go to each page and add them manually. Like Zuko…" She winked.

"Ignoring how creepy it is that everyone knows I'm connected, you can talk about Zuko later when we're stalking his account and seeing who he knows."

"Who his Friends are, you mean." Suki cleared her throat before launching into a further description of EnergyBend. "Basically, it's a mash of Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and LiveJournal. You can blog, you can follow random people or fan pages, like, make statuses… The whole bang shoot, all something to do with molding and redirecting your energies – hence,_ EnergyBend_. It even keeps record of activity for each day, kinda like LiveJournal."

"Then why did I have to do this if I could get those other accounts separately?"

"Don't be stupid, Katara," drawled Suki playfully. "It's a mixture of _all of it_. Everything in one place, and it's a bit safer since it's only available to Ba Sing Se University students."

Katara nodded slowly, finally understanding the craze over such a thing. "I see…"

* * *

><p>The next two hours consisted of Katara getting the hang of the website, learning how to use it and where to find everything she needed. By the time ten o'clock arrived, Friend requests had arrived and been sent out, and Katara's 'Friend' count had risen. It was not high compared to the people who accepted everyone in the university, as she was only Friends with the people whom she knew well.<p>

"Why'd you save Zuko for last?" Suki cocked her head to the side.

"I want it to be a surprise for him. See? The Friend request is sent – anytime now he'll get the shock of his life."

Suki yawned. "All right." She sunk from her sitting position beside Katara, stretching out on the bed after having stiffly stayed sitting for the whole two hours. "If you need me, I'll be down here, occupying your space."

"Don't worry about it." Katara smiled and glanced back at the screen. "Hey! Zuko's online and he accepted my request… Should I start a chat?"

"Duh."

Her eyebrow twitched as she did just that, sparking a small box at the corner of her screen.

_K: Hello there, Sparky._

_Z: Well if it isn't Katara, the girl who never wanted anything to do with EnergyBend… Hey._

_K: Oh please. You know how funny it is that you're on this site?_

_Z: I was on many sites – before you, too._

Katara raised an eyebrow; not even two minutes into the chat, and he was already being his snarky human self? She was not sure why she thought people were different in online situations, but she did. And because she was wrong, it now meant that she would fight back as she usually would in real life.

_K: Like?_

_Z: Have you ever been on Tumblr?_

_K: Yes!_

_Z: Really?_

_K: Sort of… OK, not really._

_Z: My point exactly._

Katara's scowl deepened and she lifted her terrifying gaze to Suki, who had looked up to see why Katara was typing so fast. "He… is _so infuriating_!"

"What did he do?"

"He proved me wrong."

"…The poor boy doesn't know what he got himself into." Suki shook her head sadly.

"What do I do now?"

"You reply."

"How?"

Suki sat up, suddenly energetic. "Ooh, you can be a troll! I've always thought you'd make a good troll. Here's your chance! Do some trolling and ignore the chat until you're done."

Katara nodded in approval, again ignoring that she had been envisioned as a troll without her knowing. "I like that idea." She returned to the chat in order to further justify what she was about to do, a scheming tint to her expression.

_K: And you just love being right, don't you?_

_Z: You're back._

_K: Did you miss me?_

_Z: How could I not, my sweet?_

_K: I can think of a few ways…_

_Z: Haha. Well, you really live up to your name of having guts._

_K: Mmm. Don't forget how I want to stomp on yours sometimes._

_Z: You're so affectionate._

_K: You're so sarcastic._

_Z: Thanks. :)_

_K: …Quit being annoying._

_Z: Other girls find me charming – but I can't help it if you find me annoying, Sugar Queen._

_K: Seriously, would you all stop calling me that?_

With a vexed hiss, Katara closed the chat box, navigating to his profile page. Here is where she would begin her trolling spree – she had never done such a thing before, but there was a first for everything. "He brought up other girls, Suki. It's trolling time."

Immediately, the Kyoshi Warrior folded her legs and resumed her previous place beside Katara. "Awesome. Let's go!"

Katara smirked and selected the first status at the top.

_Coldplay concert was awesome – lucky to have seen it. :D _

"Okay, Su, what should we say?"

"Let's talk about… hot chocolate."

Katara laughed. "But no spelling mistakes – I want to keep something of dignity while I do this…" And with that, she began to type the silliest thing in her life, ranging from the beauty of melting marshmallows to the seriousness of eight spoonfuls of sugar. After she was finished, she and Suki spent the next few minutes gasping and shaking with laughter. The next few statuses and blog entries of Zuko's were filled with more pointless comments, such as:

_Lard makes my toes curl with envy._

_I think beards are sexy._

_Hi._

Tears were streaming freely down the girls' faces as an hour went by, alive with trolling and Zuko's expressions of annoyance and demands as to what they were doing. Suki limped and stumbled onto her own bed, deciding that her body was simply not durable enough for the vast amount of laughter being done. She was exhausted; it was eleven o'clock and tomorrow she was expected to rise early for a dawn training session with the other warriors.

It was not as much fun by herself, and Katara only submitted a few more comments before she opened up the chat box again, thinking it a good time to respond to Zuko. The weariness from the day was catching up to her, and she desired a sleep of her own – it was twelve o'clock, Suki now asleep, and the will to laugh smothered by the will to yawn.

_K: Hey._

_Z: KATARA, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?_

_K: Getting revenge. It really is as fun as you say. ;)_

_Z: DAMN IT._

_K: No need to be testy, Zuzu._

_Z: UGH. Fine. I'll admit that I'm impressed – your idea was crafty. I didn't see it coming._

_K: Thank you._

_Z: BUT YOU ARE GOING TO PAY!_

_K: I'm SO scared._

Then there was no reply – and Katara soon found out why. She could hear the footsteps running down the hall and knew that they would stop at her door. They did, of course, and the door was flung open to reveal a wrathful Zuko. Fists clenched at his sides, he marched into the room and shut the door behind him, making a drooling Suki flinch but not wake.

Katara stood up and moved to stand in front of him so that there was only a foot between them. "Zuko," she greeted him blandly.

He narrowed his eyes, then suddenly leaned down and planted a quick, almost non-existent kiss on her lips; she squeaked in surprise, eyes widening as he pulled away. He looked at her as if nothing had happened. "Katara," he greeted coolly. "Now that I've given you a sample of what my vengeance entails, I wish you a good night."

She gritted her teeth. "You are _so_ frustrating!" Seriously, this little war was going so well until he decided to kiss her! Now he was going to win, for sure, even though that kiss had been pretty small.

"And you are the biggest troll I have ever met!"

"Why, thank you," she said sweetly.

He turned and responded when he was halfway out the door. "I was talking to the real mastermind – Suki." He quickly closed the door as a pillow, thrown by Katara, collided with it.

She let out another hiss of exasperation and skulked back into the glow of Suki's laptop. She selected the chat box, taking a few calming breaths as she waited for his message to come through. The outline of the box flashed as his message arrived a minute later.

_Z: I like you._

_K: I like you too. :)_

_Z: Have dinner with me tomorrow night?_

_K: I'd love to. _

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><p><strong>AN:**

Thanks for reading! And thanks for the reviews. :)

The first thing that came to mind when I saw this theme was 'Katara has to be a troll'. But as you can see, she's more of the not-relevant-to-point type of troll - I couldn't picture her as a dumb airhead-spell-everything-wrong troll. ^.^

And as for the Coldplay concert - I totally agree with Zuko. :P It was amazing! And there is a space before 'com' when I mention the full web address otherwise FanFiction would've blanked it out completely... Yup.

See that innocent little button down there? Click it and let me know what you thought of this chapter!


	4. Secret

**Summary:** AU. On a supposedly normal morning, Katara's holding back of grave news causes an odd disquiet within herself…

**A/N:** Chapter 4, here we go! This… is a bit more serious. Hopefully. I don't even know if my 'serious situations' come out as serious… O.O You're not meant to laugh. …Aww, what am I saying? I love making people laugh! 8D

**Disclaimer:** Nothing copyrighted is mine!

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><p><strong>Slices of Ocean Kumquat<strong>

_**Zutara Week 2011**_

**Theme 4: Secret**

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><p>It was supposed to be just another morning in their lives.<p>

They would lay in bed for a few extra moments after the alarm clock went off, talking about things they and other people never usually considered. He would absently twist a lock of her chocolate brown hair around his finger, she would look up at him, and he would take the opportunity to plant a kiss on her forehead before leaving the sanctuary of the bed, having to get ready to meet his duties for the day. She would leave the bed a few moments later to do little tasks such as untying curtains to let in the early morning light, humming away all the while; there were some things she instinctively did to relieve the servants of average tasks, and she only had to leave much later when she would help teach a waterbending class. Her mornings with him were supposed to be like this – routine yet somewhat thoughtful.

But today it was not. Because Katara did not look up before he gave her a kiss on the forehead, because Katara left the bed immediately after he did, because Katara did not hum while untying the curtains, because Katara would not be teaching a class today… Because her mind was racing at a speed she could not keep up with.

The Fire Lord's bed chamber was a fair maze of passages and corridors, and private rooms like the small lounge she occupied every morning closest to the main bedroom. Katara had her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and was fiddling with the string of her lavender sleeping robe, chewing the inside of her cheek as the cook's runner wheeled in tea on a cart. Perhaps it was the tone of her voice that stopped the runner from protesting against her pouring the tea herself…

"Are you feeling all right, Lady Katara?" the short man asked from behind his moustache.

Katara's smile was brisk and overall unconvincing. "I am, thank you. And the wedding isn't for a while – please don't call me Lady Katara yet." _Please don't._

"As you wish… Miss."

She nodded as he silently exited the room after a bow. The door of the bathroom gave a _click_, letting her know that her fiancé was already done. Katara poured the tea; it made uneven, plopping sounds as it hit the inside of the china teacup. Steam curled and rose from the light substance, brushing the tip of her chin, while she stirred the jasmine tea that the cook had to brew for Fire Lord Zuko every morning – as encouraged by Iroh.

The spoon she was using clacked against the side of the teacup loudly and was dropped onto the tray. Katara stared blankly ahead – she was unsure whether it was fear or confusion clouding her vision, because something definitely was. Maybe he would not mind… Maybe they could move up the date on which they were to be married… Or maybe she was overreacting about something that was possibly untrue. But Yugoda would have no reason to lie about Katara being-

"Katara?"

She started. "Zuko! You scared me," she said as sheepishly as she could, lifting her eyes to him, now decked in his Fire Lord attire.

"Why?" A frown creased his handsome face as he took a sip of tea, uttering a thanks. "What's on your mind?"

Katara smiled as she usually did in return. "Nothing really. I was just thinking of two weeks ago – remember, when we went to the Northern Water Tribe?"

"Yeah." Zuko shuddered. "Pleasant."

"If you say so." She smirked at him.

This time his teacup paused on the way to his lips, gaze frozen on her. "Not in the mood for tea this morning?"

"Hmm?" Her eyes widened, as if noticing for the first time that there were two cups and enough tea for two people. "Uh, y-yes, I am." How silly of her to forget! They drank tea together _every_ morning. "I was in really… deep thought, you know?"

"Nope."

She narrowed her eyes and hastily poured herself a cup, ignoring how the liquid slopped over the sides due to her right hand's uncontrollable shaking, soon partially covered in milky tea. Katara barely managed to take a sip – and she nearly choked anyway.

"Whoa…" Zuko gripped her wrist to steady her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She licked her lips and nodded. "Yes," she whispered.

He leaned down, closer, to peer into her eyes, and the worry present in his clenched her heart. "Katara," he murmured. His gaze flickered momentarily to her wrist. "You're trembling. I don't think you're okay."

She felt his free hand slip around hers at her side, gently undoing the fist it formed, allowing his cool fingers to tangle with hers. "Zuko," she began, urging the tears not to come forth, "I…"

He inclined his head in a slight nod, lightly pressing her to continue.

She sucked in a breath, ready as ever to tell him such big news – and then the words died on her parted lips. She closed her mouth, swallowing, feeling the dismay wave through her chest. "Nothing."

His hands disappeared and he rose to his full height. "What?"

"Yeah." A smile that did not reach her eyes automatically found its way to her face. "I was… only trying to get you worked up, is all. Nothing serious," she finished quietly.

"I didn't know you were so good at acting." He smirked.

He was playing along, Katara realized. She could see it in his eyes. Oh, she hoped he would have this patience when the time came for her to tell him… "Me neither."

"I'll see you later, then." A little kiss to her and he brushed past, disturbed air sweeping over her.

Katara nodded, and did not stop nodding for a while – not until she let out a sob, tears tumbling past her lashes and down her cheek. The teacup in her hand slipped through her fingers as though they were made of thin air, clattering and spilling the tea onto the tray. Her hands flew up to her face, desperately trying to wipe the tears away.

But she stopped, the tears flowing as naturally as if they were rain sliding down a window. Her hands fell away, she pivoted on her heel, and ran. Fast, too, a feeling of more than plain confusion and uncertainty in her chest overwhelming her. Katara threw herself at the bathroom door; it clanged against the wall, vibrating at the impact. She dropped to her knees before the toilet – and proceeded to empty out the contents of her stomach, chest racking and heaving, nails grinding into the floor beside her knees.

She whimpered and sat up, this pathetic excuse for a deed now done, gasping for air to enter her aching lungs. She fell back against the wall next to the toilet, eyes on the ceiling, and swiped the back of her hand across her mouth. "Ugh…" So Yugoda had been right, huh?

The visit to the Northern Water Tribe was eventful – at least, the end of it had been. On the last day of their stay, Katara did a small something Yugoda had suggested. It was a test, really. The results of this test would only have been determined and sent to Katara a week afterwards due to the moon cycle – and Katara had received the results yesterday afternoon. It was surprising, and she had been hoping it would have happened at a more convenient time. After she was married to Zuko, to be precise.

But no, it had not been convenient, and she was still trying to deal with the news. She had kept the little scroll bearing the information close to her ever since, and at this moment it was stuffed into the pocket of her robe. Unconsciously, Katara pulled it out and felt the rumpled paper between her fingers. With a sigh, she pushed away from the wall and dropped it into the toilet.

She would tell Zuko, because it would be unhealthy and stupid to keep it from him. He had every right to know. Before he could know, though, she had to come to terms with it herself, and after that they could figure out a way to move up the wedding date or find a safe route. The Fire Sages would not approve since royal blood was involved. This situation had to be handled very, _very_ delicately; these things were most likely the reason why her feelings were so… unsettled. And naturally, no one else could know, which was why she had sent Yugoda a reply last night via messenger hawk urging her to keep this to herself. She only hoped Zuko would understand and not be angry with her.

Katara shakily clambered to her feet and flushed the positive pregnancy test along with its messy proof down the toilet.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Ha, you probably saw it coming. I don't know why, but I really seem to like this one! *shrugs* :3

Also, I couldn't help thinking of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, when Padmé is about to tell Anakin she's pregnant, and he asks what's wrong and says, "You're trembling." Lol, yeah… I don't own that either, just in case you have to know. :P

Thanks for reading, and for your reviews!


	5. Awkward

**A/N:** Hiya! Welcome to Chapter 5! :D A pointer before we begin: pretty much all of these chapters made it onto deviantArt first, so the ones on FanFiction are only copies of the dA ones. Just in case you were reading something here and found it familiar. :) Truth is, I don't think I could find it in me to make new chapters just for FanFiction, so… moving on!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing copyrighted.

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><p><strong>Slices of Ocean Kumquat<strong>

_**Zutara Week 2011**_

**Theme 5: Awkward**

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><p>Katara stared at herself in the compact mirror, practicing a smile or two while simultaneously checking her teeth, blinking her eyes anxiously. It was a big night – sort of. At least it felt that way to her. The car that smelled new jerked to a stop, and the mirror fell out of her hand and into her lap. It was only when she stepped out of the car, onto a gravel driveway leading to the most enormous mansion she had ever seen, that she noticed how clammy her palms were. Katara gulped.<p>

"This is it." Zuko came around the other side of the car to stand next to her, lightly nudging her with his elbow. "Thanks, Jee. You can park it now," he said to the chauffeur before turning back to his girlfriend. "Are you ready?"

She grinned as convincingly as she could and took a deep breath. "Of course. I'm just a _little_ nervous," she admitted and half-lied.

He grasped her hand firmly and managed to tow her along, closer to his family home. "Don't worry; I'm nervous too."

She pursed her lips. "Stop trying to make me feel better."

"It's gonna go fine. I hope," he added, much to Katara's distaste.

Their shoes – his suede pair and her pale heels – crunched over the gravel as they went. _Crunch, crunch, crunch…_ And they were able to ascend the stone steps leading to the oak front door. Zuko placed his hand on its surface, ready to push it open, when Katara clutched at his arm. "What if they don't like me?" she whispered fearfully.

"Relax," he said mercilessly and forced the doors open to reveal a quiet entrance hall with carpet the colour of red wine, and walls typically belonging to a firebender with ornate patterns and rich wall-hangings. Katara could not help gawking at the chandelier dangling from the high, dome-shaped ceiling; it was lit with blue fire instead of normal orange or yellow, and its effect was a soothing escape from the shades of red in the room. "I see you lit the chandelier for tonight."

Katara closed her mouth and looked up at the person Zuko's words had been directed at.

"Welcome," said Azula; Katara had met Zuko's younger sister a while ago. "You're on time, for once." The frighteningly beautiful girl had her arms crossed over her chest, standing a level above them before the banister as though she had been waiting for them. Her cohorts were with her, Katara noted as she and Zuko started to move up the twisting staircase toward the girls. The tallest one, Mai, had her back to the approaching couple, yet the one called Ty Lee openly stared as she leaned on the banister. Azula had something of a smirk on her face, staring coolly ahead.

Katara winced – interacting with these girls in the past had been like trying to solve a complicated puzzle. It had obviously not changed.

"Brother," Azula said with affected warmth, turning to face him. "It's a pleasure to have you home after such a long time. You know, we've all been missing you – especially Mai. By the way, how are you, Katara?" Her gaze shifted from her brother as if noticing for the first time that Katara was present.

Katara's eyes, however, had been elsewhere; they broke away from the cold glare Mai had fixed on her from over her shoulder, and onto the pair of gold eyes, filled with feigned interest and an underlying hint of sadistic amusement. "G-Great. And you… Azula?"

"Never better." Azula did not blink when Mai abruptly ripped from the banister and stormed down a shadowed arch off to the side. Rather… her smile stretched _further_? Katara was beginning to wish she had not come here at all.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" asked Zuko, making sure to keep his temper in check. He had to change the topic to avoid Azula enjoying herself too much.

"Father is in his study. Mother is socializing at the party." Azula flicked her eyes at the bright, bustling room, directly through a wide arch set into the centre of the wall, contrasting with the dark arch Mai had passed through. "I honestly don't think that's appropriate. She and Father have much to discuss about the divorce. Our bumbling uncle can handle the party just fine without her – it's the only thing he's good for, anyway."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. Oh, forget keeping his temper in check! "Listen here-"

"Katara," Azula spoke in a sugar-coated tone, "you have met Ty Lee, haven't you?"

Katara shifted her weight uncomfortably, having pretended not to have heard any of the previous exchange. "Oh, yes. I-I met her when I met you." She lifted her hand in a small wave at Ty Lee.

"Hi!" chirped the brunette, lifting herself off the banister and prancing forward to stand beside Azula, slightly bent over as she scrutinized Katara. "It's been a long time, huh? Say…" She ran her grey eyes over the waterbender again. "Why are you wearing that dress?"

Katara blinked, unconsciously fingering the hem of her strapless, knee-length violet dress. She bit her lip. "Um… why? Is it… not right for the occasion?" She chose her words carefully, stifling the urge to cover her heating face, kick off her heels and run in the opposite direction as three pairs of eyes turned on her.

"Oh no, I was just wondering…" Ty Lee waved her hand. "You're Indian, right?"

Eyebrows climbing high, Katara glanced left and right; Zuko was about to say something, but she silenced him. She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "Yes, I am Indian, Ty Lee." Had the girl really not noticed before? Katara was taken aback; so much that she was almost speechless. Even though her own parents approved of the relationship, her differing race and element type to her boyfriend and his entire family was adding to her anxious feelings towards meeting them.

"Yeah!" Ty Lee nodded eagerly. "That's my point. How come you're wearing a dress like that? I thought Indian girls wear… what's that word again…? Uh… a sari! That's it. Why aren't you wearing a sari?"

Zuko huffed, a furious expression on his face. "Ty Lee-"

"_Wait_." Katara's mouth had fallen open in a grimace, eyebrows higher than a teenager on cactus juice. "Er, Ty Lee…" How could she put this? "I'm… American. My whole family is American. Not all, uh, Indian people are directly from India…" She chuckled and rubbed her arm. "We were all born here, a-as far as I know. I'm also Christian, if that counts?" A pregnant pause, and Katara cleared her throat. "So, um… I also don't own a sari," Katara finished weakly. When nothing was said in response, she shrugged. "I've worn one before, though. A long time ago." Her hands clasped together behind her back, cheeks hotter than a summer day. She looked down.

Azula clicked her tongue. "Really, Ty Lee, don't be so rude to our guest. Perhaps you should join Mai." She took Ty Lee's arm and began to lead her away. "Apologies, Katara. Ty Lee has such orthodox beliefs when it comes to other races and interracial relationships." She patted her arm once. "You will forgive her, won't you?"

Eyes still on the floor, Katara nodded. "How could I not?"

Azula's lips curved into a smile. "Excellent. Oh, and Zuzu, Father wants to see you now."

Zuko scowled. "Sure," he hissed. He waited for his sister and her minion to exit through the shadowed arch before turning to Katara. "Hey, I'm really sorry about that. Azula and her friends probably hatched that whole thing just to get back at me for breaking up with Mai – and to make you feel awkward."

She squeezed his hand. "It's fine."

He lifted her chin with his forefinger. "You're angry."

"Well, of course I'm _offended_!" Katara stepped back and flung her arms up, a terrifying expression on her face to add to her loud voice. "If I had a full waterskin on me, I would've sealed them in a block of ice and had it thrown over the side of a battleship, _with_ their dark souls still inside, sinking down to the depths of the ocean, never to be found again and touched by the fingertips of mankind-"

"Easy, easy, Sugar Queen…"

"Toph told you about that?" demanded Katara.

"Mmm. You hang around for a bit – I've gotta go see my father, like Azula said. Things are getting more hectic with my parents' divorce…" he trailed off and rubbed the back of his head. "And if it goes as wonderfully as I think, you and I can leave and never come back for a long time."

She snorted. "If I'm not around here, you'll know I left without you."

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><p><strong>AN:**

And there ya have it! I've always liked the whole interracial relationship aspect of Zutara. It's adorable. :P By the way, no offense is intended by this – it was actually inspired by a similar personal experience, which I found hilarious (the cute kind of hilarious). Heck, if you thought of offense at all while reading this, I would have punched you in the face! *jokes* Nah, I wouldn't, but I might laugh uneasily and walk away. :)

Thanks for reading, and for the nice reviews and alerts! I appreciate them a lot. (:


	6. Legendary

**A/N:** Avast! :D Despite the very piratey greeting, this chapter will not be about pirates. Sorry if you're disappointed. :) This has nothing to do with the canon of _The Legend of Korra_, since I thought it up a long time before I knew the details of le spin-off. (But still, isn't Korra just amazing so far? 8D)

**Disclaimer:** Nothing copyrighted is mine. Period.

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><p><strong>Slices of Ocean Kumquat<strong>

_**Zutara Week 2011**_

**Theme 6: Legendary**

* * *

><p>"Good morning, my lady."<p>

"Good morning," greeted Katara, smiling at the guard before pausing at the edge of the low step leading into the garden; for a moment or two, she stared out at it from beneath the awning sheltering the now empty corridor.

It was a gorgeous spring day, a breeze sweeping through the garden, carrying the perfume of freshly cut grass and sweet Fire Nation flowers. Despite the sun shining down warmly upon the city, Katara did not feel at all hot in her white Fire Nation robes. When she had first become a member of the royal family – the Fire Lady, to be exact – she had found the heavy red robes repulsive, and insisted upon wearing cooler clothing, including an assortment of formal Water Tribe outfits. However, time had made the thicker robes less of a bother, and she had managed to adjust to them quite well – if only to be more respectful.

She swallowed as she stepped onto the short stone path. This was a smaller garden, built close to the heart of the palace, and was very beautiful, indeed. The path was formed with firm, round cobblestones, and lining it on either side were ribbons of water, upon which floated delicate, pale flowers at various intervals. Being a quiet atmosphere, it was easy to hear energetic butterbees darting amongst the flowers spotting the lush grass. But Katara did not pay attention to these; she kept her eyes downcast, feet taking slow steps on the path. _Clop, clop, clop…_

At the end of the path was a structure consisting of six white walls, in the shape of a hexagon, a roof like that of a pagoda sprouting from the top, red and elegantly carved with inlaid patterns of gold. Around it bubbled a timid stream, surrounding the structure and connecting to the slips of water hugging the cobbled path. She ascended the three steps leading up to the entry archway of the structure, eyes floating up to rest on the wooden clock above the doorframe – as they did each year.

"So it's time…" she whispered to herself.

Katara willed herself not to shed tears as she removed her shoes and stepped inside, hands rising to clasp at the level of her chest. In she went, and the luxurious red of the walls and the heavy scent of incense swallowed her whole. It seemed as if it was another world in here, sealed off from everything and everyone else, the sound of the stream far away like a distant echo of ages long passed. But she did not mind the sphere of serenity she was enclosed in, for years of this had made it all too familiar. Circular windows without glass set high into the walls let in pure morning light, easing the thickness of the exotic fragrance given off by the incense, which was burning in stout brass cups at each point of the hexagon and curling slowly into the air like misty lavender fingers. But stationed entirely along the walls were glowing lamps of pale gold fire, almost white, like tiny fat fireflies hovering against the walls. On either side of the archway, small rectangular mirrors were hung on the walls, reflecting the simple curling patterns decorating the opposite walls. A smooth rectangular carpet ran over the bare marble floor from the lips of the archway to a stone assemblage at the end of the room.

A few meek steps on the carpet and she turned to stare into one of the mirrors – as she did each year. She watched her slouched frame straighten briefly when she drew in a deep breath, inhaling the rich smell of the room. She lifted a puffy hand, creased with leathery wrinkles, to her friendly but aged face, feeling her rough fingers touch the frail skin of her cheek; the bright, divine hazel of her skin had paled over the years, somewhat muted yet still present. The river of chocolate locks that used to tumble down her shoulders, like the water she masterfully manipulated, was now a waterfall of thin grey spray, light and wispy and quite neat in a traditional Fire Nation hairstyle, only the occasional braid to show for her original heritage. She had weathered many seasons, and so many things about how she looked had changed, but if there was one thing about her appearance that had stayed the same, it was her pair of strong-minded, kind blue eyes which still echoed the deep blue of the sky as they had ever since she was born.

They had seen so much, but had not changed.

The waterbender turned away from the mirror and lightly trod over the soft carpet, to Zuko's stone memorial at the other end of the room. Katara already knew that the clock, outside, had struck the hour – the very hour that he had moved on to another life, leaving his memory behind with her and, of course, the many hearts who had admired him greatly. Robes rustling as she stiffly knelt down, Katara ran her eyes along the memorial. A wide frame of dark marble, covering that one end of the hexagon, enclosed a bed of delicate white pebbles, with a smooth cylinder of the same charcoal-coloured marble rising up to a height a few inches above Katara's kneeling height. Zuko's name had been expertly carved into the stone in slanting calligraphy.

His ashes would be buried within the structure… Katara's hand flew up to cover her mouth, but it could not disguise the sob that shuddered past her throat – just like it could not each year. _His ashes…_ One minute, he had been alive – sweaty and slowly fading, but still alive – and then he was not. And shortly after that, she was watching Fire Sages set his lifeless body alight at a solemn funeral in front of the public eye… After this process, all that was left of the Fire Lord, her husband, her friend, was an urn full of ashes. The tears streamed down her face, tiny sobs sounding from behind her hand – each year since his death, she could not fathom why this particular detail, this particular wound, seemed so fresh every time. She had gotten used to her heavy Fire Nation robes, the walk up the path to the shrine, the ticking of the wooden clock, the incense and the mirror and the globes of fire lighting up the room…

So why? Perhaps she was afraid of her love for him lessening, crumbling into the same ash – even though she knew it never could. He had told her himself.

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><p><em>The fire was burning low among the mass of ashes in the fireplace that threatened to smother it. At least it did not give off a great amount of heat, for his skin was fiery like the flames he could ignite in the space of a second. But he was too weak to produce any fire, and his condition had worsened gravely, continuing to do so without any sign of stopping. The Royal Family's doctor had told her so a few hours ago, but she had kept the information from Zuko; she had a feeling that he knew exactly how bad his health was, and if she repeated it out loud she was not sure if she could bear it. Katara had always been a realistic person, but this reality was too shocking for her, had the potential to send her crashing down from her stance of composure.<em>

_As another shot of pain twisted inside of him, making him gasp and tighten his hand around hers for a split-second, she pressed her cool palm against his forehead. "Shh…" she crooned gently, trying to calm him to the best of her ability. He was shivering crazily, no doubt feeling colder by the second, but on the outside his skin was coated in damp sweat and searing hot. Her hand pushed back the sticky black hair from his forehead before slipping to his cheek, caressing it sweetly; his eyes closed, breathing steadying._

_The end was rapidly approaching, and it destroyed her to know that his last few moments would not be peaceful._

_The children had left the room a few minutes ago, well aware that it would be the last time seeing Fire Lord Zuko alive. But they had been so kind, so wonderful to him, that she hoped it would be a good last memory for him before… Katara swallowed, face creasing as a tear rolled over her eyelid and down her cheek. Another sharp intake of breath startled her out of her thoughts, bringing her back to the chamber in the Fire Palace, where Zuko was trying to relax his face out of a pained expression as he surveyed her, eyes shining with sickness in his starkly pale face._

"_K-Katara…" he murmured through trembling, cracked lips. He swallowed thickly, trying to speak to her; immediately, she pushed her chair closer to the bedside._

"_What is it?" she asked, trying to stop her voice from hitching. "Are you cold?" Automatically her hands worked to tuck the layers of blankets closer around him. "Here, drink some water…" she went on, lifting a glass of the lucid liquid off the bedside table and holding it to his lips as he took a sip. "You must be thirsty – shouldn't you have some more? A-And the doctor…" She had to pause when a sob threatened to crack past her throat. "The doctor really should be here – where is he? You might need some medicine-"_

"_Katara-"_

"_-and he needs to administer what food you need-"_

"_Katara, h-hold on. Please-"_

"_-or maybe soup, or something? That seems fine-"_

"_Stop, Katara."_

"_I… I could… I could get…"_

_Zuko gazed at her with worry, shakily grasping her hands and holding them tightly to his chest, pulling her closer to him as her lips shook. "It's okay."_

_The tears were flowing from her eyes, dripping onto his hot cheek. "No, I'm sorry… I-" But she did not carry on, for a sob that had been building inside of her since the day his health had worsened finally tore from her and into the open. She began to cry heavily, chest shuddering uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Zuko," she kept saying between sobs. _

"_Don't cry," he whispered softly. "You don't always have to be strong, y-you know." He managed a thin smile, only resulting in more tears welling in her eyes as she nodded roughly._

"_Okay. Okay, I… I need to stop…" she said, still nodding to herself._

"_Please, Katara. I… don't want to see you like this before I die."_

_And the words that she had been dreading for so long now were finally spoken. It was like a constricting chain had been sliced away at last, a weight lifted from her shoulders – but not pleasantly. She stopped sobbing, the tears slipping silently down her cheeks. She was met with the reality of things, soul pierced by it – yet it made something important very clear to her. She looked at him, then, arranging her hands so that she could hold onto his firmly, with a grip of certainty. It was important to her that she be strong for him, even more so because he wanted her to be strong for him too – even though he did not say so. There was nothing else she could do, she discovered, nothing that could save him. But she could at least be there for him, as herself, give him one full, bittersweet moment together before he left._

_Someday she might reunite with him._

"_I love you, Zuko," she whispered to him, giving him a weak and watery smile. "Don't you dare forget that."_

_He chuckled. "I won't. Ever. Y-You know why?"_

_She shook her head, lowering it to rest her chin on his chest, looking up at him through her lashes as he looked down at her with bright golden eyes. "Why?"_

"_Because I love you too." He grinned as his chest shuddered, yet more pain making him convulse. "And you a-and I…" he drifted off, as if he was forgetting what he was about to say._

_Katara's eyes widened fractionally in distress, but she hid it by hoisting herself up to press a kiss to his flushed, moist cheek. "Yes?" she ventured, voice threatening to crack against her will. "Zuko, what were you going to say?" she asked in a strained, breaking voice, pulling back to look into his eyes. "Zuko?"_

_He blinked slowly, trying to chase away the fog that was seeping into his gaze. "Katara… You and I… W-We have a special love – extraordinary… I," he paused, smiling even though the fog was slowly consuming his eyes, "I know f-for sure it's gonna last…"_

_She felt him pull his right hand out of her grip, bringing it to her soft brown hair, stroking gently. "You think so?" she asked with a sad smile._

"_Sure. I know s-so… Because…"_

_Her chest was resting against his, and she could feel the dull beat of his heart against the building thrums of her own. "Because," she said, swallowing down a sob._

_Zuko gave her a hazy smile that she would remember for the rest of her life. "Our l-love…" He gave a faint chuckle as the fog occupied his eyes. "It's the legendary kind of love."_

_That was a moment Katara would never forget – the moment his hands grew limp, the moment the breath died on his lips, the moment the fire went out of his eyes, the moment where she stroked his face and traced his scar and wept… The moment where, from then on, she could only feel her heart beating, alone, not in tandem with another._

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><p>Perhaps it was because she was afraid of her love for him changing – but it could also have been because she still loved him. The large amount of years that had passed since then did nothing to change her feelings towards him. The many events that had taken place did nothing to alter her character. Many would have called it irrational, a strange thing for a person to do after their loved one had long passed… But she did not care. She did not expect those people to grasp such a thing, as it was quite peculiar that she herself had done so without question. Either way, she felt it anyway – of course, she did not let it stop her from living a life, among her children and friends and different relations. She had accepted it, but that did not mean she had to stop loving him and him alone.<p>

Her appearance may have changed, and his hand may have grown limp in hers, but their love for one another was something that would not change and would not slip away and slacken – it would transcend time. It was and always would be, as he had said, a legendary kind of love.

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><p><strong>AN:**

Thank you for the alerts, faves and reviews - I really appreciate them. :)

I hope I didn't lay on too much of corn in this chapter, but it was nice to practice more of an emotional type of thing.

Thanks so much for reading!


	7. Caught

**A/N:** Welcome to the very last chapter! After such a long time (even though there is such a small number of chapters) this fic is finally coming to a close. Enjoy! :DDD

**Disclaimer:** Nothing copyrighted is mine.

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><p><strong>Slices of Ocean Kumquat<strong>

_**Zutara Week 2011**_

**Theme 7: Caught**

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><p><em>Afternoon…<em>

A flurry of snowflakes danced along the large distance between Zuko and Katara.

They faced one another, eyes locked in a silent intensity. Only a small frown knitted Katara's slender eyebrows as she swallowed thickly, her countenance stony and unyielding. The sigh she heaved was visible in the frigid winter air, puffing out from between her lips and vanishing in the race of snow as she began to speak. "Why?" she asked quietly, face grave. "Zuko, I need you to tell me _why_ you did it."

She could see the frustration flicker in him as his fists clenched and teeth gritted in a scowl, before snuffing out as he forced himself to turn away, facing to the side so she could see his profile. Still, he continued to glare at the white ground, as though he could burn a hole in the floor of the North Pole and submerge them all in icy, dark water. "I already told you," he muttered.

"But that isn't enough!" she cried, extending her arms out in a beseeching manner.

"It's going to have to be!" he retorted, wringing his gloved fingers together – perhaps to stop himself from really attempting to melt the North Pole. Another stretch of silence thickened between them, and before he lost Katara to it, he said more calmly, "I'm sorry, Katara. Really. But it had to be done."

Katara pursed her trembling lips together and looked down, defeated and overcome with disappointment.

* * *

><p><em>Earlier that day…<em>

"Why can I still feel the cold through my boots? It's like I'm walking barefoot on ice. It's annoying. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of wearing boots in the first place?" Zuko concluded his string of complaints as he, Sokka and Hakoda walked to the edge of the ice, the rim before it gave way to the inky indigo sea by which the Northern Water Tribe was surrounded. After the end of the War, this enormous Water Tribe had become more liberal with the wall. Of course, it was still in place as a security measure with access controlled relatively firmly, but citizens and visitors could leave and enter with more leisure than before. Thus, the three of them had today decided to partake in a fishing trip.

"Quit your yapping." Sokka rolled his eyes. "I thought you were a firebender. Shouldn't you be, like, really hot and stuff?"

Zuko smirked. "Why yes, I am really hot. Part of the reason why your lovely sister's marrying me-"

Hakoda cleared his throat. "What's that you're saying?"

"Right." Zuko caught himself, remembering Hakoda's presence just in time. "Well, I haven't been to any of the Poles for so long – and I was mostly on a ship, not the ice."

"Your problem, not mine," said Sokka with a lazy grin.

Zuko rolled his eyes and glanced around him. The day was a mild one, with milky light draping over the chunks of jagged icebergs floating in the water. A meek snow was drifting from the cloudy sky, not enough to disrupt their task for today – some villagers had said that it would grow heavier later in the day, but they knew that they would be finished up before then. Zuko flexed his fingers inside his gloves, staring around to find the boat which would transport them out over the water. He frowned, seeing only a tiny dinghy; it certainly was not large enough to carry all three of them… "Is there another boat around here, then?" he asked.

Hakoda slung his arm around his future son-in-law's shoulders. "Now now, Zuko, don't complain. This boat is perfect for your purpose."

"_My_ purpose?" Zuko looked up at the chief of the Southern Tribe, bewildered.

"Didn't Sokka tell you?"

"About what?"

"I guess not then. Did you forget to tell him, son?"

Sokka cocked his head mischievously, the corner of his lip tugging upwards. "Oops."

Zuko frowned at him, and then turned to Hakoda with a hopefully more respectful expression – but the man was smiling strangely at him, too. _Huh?_ The firebender could not help his irritation and confusion. He was never sweet-tempered anyway. "I don't understand and nobody's telling me anything. Is there a _reason_ why we came out here, or are you two just gonna stand there smiling at me all day?"

Hakoda let out a laugh in his gruff voice. "Of course there's a reason. In the Water Tribe culture, we have a tradition for grooms-"

"Oh, here we go," muttered Zuko, stepping out from under Hakoda's arm.

"-and no matter who the groom is, whether he is an outsider or a tribesman, he must perform this task in honour of his future wife."

"What is it?" asked Zuko tiredly.

"It isn't hard," said Sokka, picking up from where his father left off. "You just need to take that boat out and catch Katara a fish – by yourself, without any help from us. Got it?"

Zuko huffed. "Trust me, I tried hard not to get it."

"Good! Now here's the rod, and get out there and catch my little girl a fish!" laughed Hakoda, shoving a fishing rod and bait into Zuko's hand and giving him a slap on the back, ushering him in the direction of the boat.

"Yeah, yeah…" Zuko dropped the rod and bait into the miniscule boat, doing his best not to fall into the freezing water himself, eventually managing to clamber shakily into it. He felt uneasy just sitting in it – first of all, a wooden bar of the boat, running down the centre along the floor, was digging into the part of a man that should never be dug into. Secondly, the boat was so small that if he turned around too much, it would surely cause chafing and raw skin at his sides. Thirdly, the damned thing generally felt unstable – as if it would snap at any moment and dump him into the Northern Sea. He pulled the fishing rod out from under him, helping to relieve some of the discomfort caused by the wooden bar, and placed it on his lap before taking hold of the paddles.

"All set?" asked Hakoda.

Zuko looked at him flatly, past the point of trying to impress him. "Do I really have to do this? I already made the necklace for her."

"It's tradition, Fire Lord Zuko," said Hakoda, pronouncing each word carefully. "You have to do this, otherwise you will not be granted permission to marry my daughter and if you try to defy me I can always have at you with the entire force of the Water Tribe behind me." His tone was quite cheerful.

Zuko chuckled uneasily, unable to tell if he was being serious or not. "We wouldn't want another war, would we?"

"Nope!" answered Sokka. "Now go on before the snow storm hits!"

"But I'm going to look ridiculous," mumbled Zuko.

"We all have our moments, Sparky," said Sokka sympathetically. "Now _get_." He punctuated this by pointing his index finger, frowning seriously. Zuko could just about picture him wearing his famed fake beard.

"Fine."

The firebender left the icy dock, rowing strongly, but it was the flat and vexed expression on his face that set off Sokka and his father. Tears were streaming down their faces as they laughed with each other, clumsily exchanging triumphant high-fives, and clutched their sides to contain themselves as though they simply could not bear the laughter rushing out of them. Panting, his face hanging near the ground, Sokka managed to stammer, "D-Dad, this is t-too rich! H-He's buying every bit of it!"

For a moment, Hakoda stared at his son and attempted to stop laughing – instead making gasping sounds, as if he was trying to get out a sentence or two. Sokka watched his father in amusement as he finally gave up on trying to talk, and both lapsed back into a fit of giggles.

As the father and son continued to wrestle with their heaving lungs, Zuko wrestled his own fierce duel with the fishing rod, at one stage accidentally getting his hand tied in a knot at the reel. Finally, after minutes of struggling, he poked a piece of bait on the end of the hook and was casting off into the water, scowling worse than Toph when Katara had tried to exfoliate her using her own mud against her. The urge to fidget and shuffle was extreme, for no comfort could be found in the cramped boat, and there was no telling how long it would be before an unsuspecting fish were to spot the delicious worm and decide it wanted a bite.

Suddenly, the firebender heard a _thump_ on the underside of the boat and nearly jumped in excitement. Almost immediately after that, he felt a tug on the rod and saw the tip bending downwards – it was happening. "Agni, it's happening." Zuko began to reel the fish in feverishly. His task was nearly complete and he would be able to return to the city with pride along with the marital fish. A splash of water alerted him of the fish's breaking of the water's surface, and in triumph he lifted the rod in the air, watching the fish's silver fins flailing above him. Looking to Hakoda and Sokka on the land, he grinned. "You all thought I couldn't do it, but I did! I persevere, I strive on, and as long as I do that, I can't be defeated!" Zuko unsteadily got to his feet in the heat of the moment. "It's not easy to get rid of me!"

Sokka cupped his hands around his mouth. "Okay, we get it – you're invincible like a cockroach! Now sit _down_! You're not meant to stand on a boat when it's in the middle of the water!"

Zuko hesitated in his waving around of the marital fish. "Huh?" And with that, he tipped over and tumbled into the icy water of the North Pole.

"Zuko!" Sokka shouted, starting forward in shock. "S-Sparky?" he called lamely a few moments after the firebender disappeared beneath the surface. "Dad, what if he's…? Then… Dad, this whole thing was our idea. D-Did we just kill our friend a-and future family member? I mean, now Katara's gonna kill _us_! W-What if we just killed the Fire Lord?" Sokka bit his nails and grabbed onto his warrior's wolf tail. "I mean, sure, that's what we wanted during the War, but I really like this Fire Lord, and – _what if we start a whole new war_?"

Hakoda drew in a deep breath, staring fixedly at the spot where Zuko had fallen. "Calm down, son. He's a firebender – his body heat and practiced breath control should give him a longer chance of staying in there than if we were to jump in now. It's the height of winter… But you know, I hear he's survived explosions, burning, hurricanes, lightning and freezing. Surely he'll survive this."

"Yeah, he has lived through all that. He's pretty damn resilient, now that I think about it. Just like a roach…" said Sokka wonderingly, folding his arms and holding his chin. "I just wonder why he's taking so long now."

The two on the land did not know of the battle going on beneath the water's surface. With the shock and sudden cold, Zuko had dropped the fishing rod along with the fish that he had been so excited to catch, and then proceeded to search for it amidst the blue. But the lower he went, the darker it got, and although he was a seasoned swimmer of the polar seas, the cold and lack of fresh air was beginning to take its toll on him. Although he tried to keep on, Zuko grew more and more frustrated by the second, resorting to desperately swimming after any fish that he saw. At one point an entire school of fish swarmed around him, but they were too quick and slippery. By the time his breath was truly running out, he was utterly furious, warmth building in his palms as if he could release a gust of fire. With an underwater howl of anger that resulted in a multitude of bubbles flying from his mouth, Zuko pushed towards the surface and burst out savagely. He did not even pause to gulp in air, and as he swam – for he gave up on the infernal, rickety boat – his teeth were clenched, making his breathing rather noisy.

Arriving at the pier, he did not accept Hakoda and Sokka's offered hands, instead clawing at the ice and hauling himself out of the water. With a grunt, Zuko let out a burst of steam from all over his body, instantly drying himself. He had been underwater for much longer when he was trying to sneak into the Northern Water Tribe during Zhao's siege, and thus it did not take very long to restore him to his normal body temperature – as normal as could be when in the North Pole during winter.

"I am going to town," he said between clenched teeth, pushing past the two Water Tribe men. "And I am going to buy a fish."

Sokka frowned. "But-"

Zuko shoved his palm in the other boy's face. "I don't care what you say or what you think. You aren't going to stop me. I'm going to buy a fish. A fish is a fish."

"Yes, a fish is a fish is a fish, but a marital fish is not _just a fish_, Zuko," said Hakoda, gently placing a thickly gloved hand on Zuko's shoulder. "No one has attempted purchasing a marital fish before because it's not allowed – everyone knows that. It's not proper to take shortcuts."

Zuko stepped out of his touch and began to make his way to the entrance arch of the city. "Didn't I tell you that you aren't going to stop me?" he called, a distance away.

Sokka and Hakoda watched him go, watched him disappear beneath the arch and out of their sight, until they allowed laughter to take hold of them once again. After minutes of laughter and gasps and exclamations racking their bodies, the father and son finally collapsed on the snow, left-over chuckles just barely hitching their breaths. Sokka sat up, twisting his body in the snow to peer at Hakoda, who was sprawled a few feet away from him. "Dad?"

"Yes, son?"

"I have a new idea."

Hakoda turned his face to grin at him, mischief in his eyes. "Oh?"

Sokka returned his grin. "Yep, I do. How about we tell Katara that he's going to _buy_ her marital fish?"

Hakoda frowned worriedly. "The concept of marital fishing was part of the joke, you know. It doesn't actually exist."

"Of course I know, Dad! What I'm saying is that we should let Katara in on the prank…"

"Ah, I see." Hakoda nodded, catching on. "So when Zuko brings home a fish, Katara won't be confused because of not being part of the prank…"

"Instead she'll put on an act of being upset, angry and… however a woman would react in this situation…"

"And we won't be revealed as soon! Good thinking, Sokka!" Hakoda beamed.

"We are two Water Tribe geniuses, so I thought we could go out with a bang on this one."

Hakoda pushed himself to his feet. "And now we will." He held out a hand to help Sokka up. "Come on, we have to find your sister and utilize what acting skills she has before Zuko arrives there."

* * *

><p><em>Afternoon…<em>

Katara pursed her trembling lips together and looked down, defeated and overcome with disappointment.

Zuko glanced at the fish lying on the snow-covered ground a few feet away from him – the fish that he had bought at the market, not caught. "I know I shouldn't have-"

"No, you shouldn't have!" she shouted, advancing forward so fiercely that he retreated. On her way, Katara snatched up the fallen fish. "Do you have any idea what this great animal symbolizes in the Water Tribe? _Do you_?" This question was reinforced by the waving around of the aquatic animal. "This fish was meant to symbolize all of the love our marriage will be based on, all of the love you owe me, how much you value me as your bride and, basically, what you think of me!"

"I didn't – huh?"

"And you think I'm nothing but a market fish, is that right?"

"No… No! I-"

"Look at you! You took so long to answer. I just…" She paused, looking down once more with her lips pursed. "You didn't get me the right fish, Zuko. Don't you understand how you're breaking my heart?"

Zuko stared at her, knowing he should be able to understand, and he was feeling guilty, but did the people of the Water Tribe really care about fish this much? "Katara, please-"

"No, I don't think you do," she choked out, her voice sounding strangled. She whisked past him, mashing the fish against his chest as she went, before she stumbled and collapsed to her knees in the snow, her hunched form shuddering.

Zuko turned slowly, the fish in his arms as though he were carrying a child. "Katara… are you… crying?" Well, she was holding her sides very tightly and making tiny gasping noises. Now he felt completely guilty, especially for finding it strange that they idolized fish so much. Right now, the firebender desperately wanted her to forgive him and know that he was ready to embrace and accept her culture, and… now Katara had rolled onto her back. "Katara?" He ventured closer.

Abruptly she let a howl burst from her throat – and it was not a pained howl, Zuko saw. It was _laughter_. Giggles and gasps shuddered through her, her chocolate brown hair sprawled on the snowy ground beneath her, cheeks flushed. Before he could stop to admire her loveliness, Zuko raised his eyebrow. "What's going on?" he demanded, although he doubted she could hear him.

"Ha!" came a familiar voice from the side of the house.

Zuko whipped around. "Sokka? Were you just hiding there the whole time?"

"Indeed I was," he said with a grin, walking up to Zuko from the side of the family cottage and slapping him on the back. "And you were buying every minute of it! Haha!"

"Buying every minute of…?" Zuko drifted off, realization slowly glowing in his mind. "Sokka," he gritted out through clenched teeth, his features marred with fury. "Was this entire marital fish business a _prank_?"

"Of course it was, Zuko," said Katara gently, who had managed to calm down and was sitting up, wiping tears from her eyes, though the remains of laughter clung to her cheeks and lips. "I'm sorry – I only found out about it just before you got here. I know Sokka and my dad are creative, but seriously, marital fish?" She allowed a titter to escape. "That's just ridiculous!"

Zuko huffed. He would carry out her punishment later, out of sight of her brother and father. For getting involved in the scheme, she would be subject to his vengeance. He knew all of her weak spots – it would not take a great lot of planning and he would enjoy himself thoroughly… But Sokka – oh, in that particular case, he would allow masculine irrationality to take over.

Sokka laughed. "Exactly! I didn't think he'd get caught up in it – he's Zuko. I thought he'd realize sooner…" And then Sokka drifted off, glancing between the steam rising from the fish in Zuko's hand and the fiery expression on his face. "Uh… Zuko, buddy?"

Katara raised her eyebrows. "I think this is meant to be your head-start, Sokka."

"You think so?" Sokka cocked his head. "He wouldn't really come after me…" But then, in one blast of fire, Zuko burnt the fish to a crisp, letting the blackened remains trail to the ground. "Okay. I think he would."

Zuko flexed his fingers, taking a predatory step forward. "You'd better believe it."

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><p><strong>AN:**

Oh my goodness. *crying* I took ages to finish this. I don't know why. And now it's finally done. OH MY GOODNESSSSSSS.

I'm really pleased with this one. I managed to make puns out of the prompt… and I heart puns! :P It's also a bit of a crack-fic, but it was quite fun to write. Oh, and an interesting fact: Zuko's "You'd better believe it" at the end sounded sexy in my mind. X3

Thanks for reading, and thank you for the reviews, alerts, and favourites! I can now finally check something as "Complete". :D Until next time!

_**~SuperSonic Violet**_


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